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Iraqforce
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Iraqforce was a British and Commonwealth formation that fought in the Middle East during World War II. Iraqforce was commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Quinan and was variously part of British India Command, Middle East Command and finally Persia and Iraq Command.
Iraqforce was initially despatched from Karachi by Army HQ, India Command to seize and secure the port of Basra (which British Prime Minister Winston Churchill saw as a future major supply base for material from the United States), to reinstate a more compliant Iraqi government, and to protect British interests in Iraq, notably the oilfields of which the British-owned Anglo-Persian Oil Company was concession holder.
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Encyclopedia
Iraqforce was a British and Commonwealth formation that fought in the Middle East during World War II. Iraqforce was commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Quinan and was variously part of British India Command, Middle East Command and finally Persia and Iraq Command.
Iraqforce was initially despatched from Karachi by Army HQ, India Command to seize and secure the port of Basra (which British Prime Minister Winston Churchill saw as a future major supply base for material from the United States), to reinstate a more compliant Iraqi government, and to protect British interests in Iraq, notably the oilfields of which the British-owned Anglo-Persian Oil Company was concession holder. In the ensuing Anglo-Iraqi War Basra was captured from the sea on 18 April. At the same time a force from the British Mandate of Palestine, known as Habforce, advanced from Transjordan to relieve the British forces besieged at the RAF treaty base at Habbaniya in Iraq and then onwards to capture Baghdad. From early May the troops in Iraq were under the operational control of Army HQ, Middle East Command in Cairo, reverting to India command on 18 June.
After Iraq was secured, elements of Iraqforce in June and July took part in the Syria-Lebanon campaign and while active in Syria they once more came under Cairo HQ's authority. In late August Iraqforce then conducted the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Persia in conjunction with forces advancing from the Soviet Union. A new formation, Hazelforce, based on the 2nd Indian Armoured Brigade was formed within Iraqforce during this effort.
On 1 September 1941, after Persia (modern Iran) was secured, Iraqforce was re-named "Persia and Iraq Force" or Paiforce. Paiforce was still commanded by Quinan and he still reported to India Command. In January 1942 Persia and Iran once again came under Middle East Command and in February 1942, Quinan's headquarters was re-designated as Tenth Army.
With the growing threat from the German advance in the Caucasus it was felt in 1942 that the area should come under a GHQ which could bring a heavy focus to the area. Previous experience of controlling the area both from Cairo and Delhi had not proved ideal and both these GHQs were by this time fully committed in the Western Desert and the Burma Campaigns respectively. It was decided therefore in August 1942, as part of the changes made bringing in Alexander and Montgomery to Middle East Command and Auchinleck to India Command, to create a new, separate command, the Persia and Iraq Command, to be led by General Sir Maitland Wilson and based in Baghdad.
Order of Battle - Iraq 1941
Commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Quinan
- Ground Forces at RAF Habbaniya - Colonel Ouvry Roberts
- 1st battalion The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)
- 1,200 Assyrian and Iraqi Levies - Lieutenant-Colonel J. A. Brawn
- 18 RAF armoured cars
- Habforce commanded by Major-General J.G.W. Clark
- Striking force "Kingcol" - Brigadier J.J. Kingstone
- Main Body - Lieutenant-Colonel J. S. Nichols, MC
- Headquarters 1st Cavalry Division (elements)
- 1st Battalion Essex Regiment
- 60th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
- One Battery of anti-tank guns, Royal Artillery
- Detachment of the Arab Legion - John Glubb "Glubb Pasha"
Order of Battle - Syria 1941
Commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Edward Quinan
During the Syria-Lebanon campaign Iraqforce consisted of:
- 10th Indian Infantry Division -Major-General William Slim
- 20th Indian Infantry Brigade - Brigadier Donald Powell
- 21st Indian Infantry Brigade - Brigadier C.J. Weld
- 25th Indian Infantry Brigade - Brigadier Ronald Mountain
- 17th Indian Infantry Brigade (detached from 8th Indian Infantry Division) - Brigadier Douglas Gracey
- Habforce - Major-General J.G.W. Clark
- 4th Cavalry Brigade - Brigadier J.J. Kingstone
- 1st Battalion The Essex Regiment
- Arab Legion Mechanised Regiment
- 237th Battery 60th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
- An Australian battery of 2 pounder anti-tank guns
- 169th Light Anti-aircraft Battery
Order of Battle - Persia 1941
Commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Edward Quinan
During the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Persia (modern day Iran) Iraqforce was redesignated Paiforce. Paiforce consisted of:
- 10th Indian Infantry Division - Major-General William Slim (took overall command of the ground forces)
- 8th Indian Infantry Division - commanded by Major-General Charles Harvey
- Hazelforce - Brigadier J.A. Aizlewood
- 6th Indian Infantry Division (from 11 September) - Major-General J.N. Thomson
- 27th Indian Infantry Brigade - Brigadier Alan Blaxland
- 24th Indian Infantry Brigade (attached from 8th Indian Infantry Division)- Brigadier R.E. Le Fleming
See also
External links
- Ravi Rikhye, , http://www.orbat.com, June 2002
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